The invention relates to a dispensing device for the machine washing of laundry.
Various forms of detergent dispensing devices have been proposed for machine washing of laundry. For example, EP 0 343 070 describes a device comprising a water permeable bag having a mouth retained in an open position by a rigid annular rim. In use detergent powder is scooped into the bag and the filled device is put into the machine with the clothes. During the wash cycle, wash liquor penetrates the bag through both the open mouth and the walls of the bag to dissolve and disperse the powder contained within the bag. A problem encountered with this device is that during use the mouth of the device tends to get plugged up by the laundry. In order to solve this problem WO 95/04682 proposed the provision of a rigid spacing means projecting over a plane of the mouth to keep laundry away from a mouth of the bag thus preventing a mouth of the bag becoming blocked. While this solution has improved the operation of the device by improving the throughput of water and detergent through the mouth, the solution does not address the perceived problem of getting solution in and out of the bag through the water permeable walls of the bag. With recent washing operations moving towards the usage of less water, this perceived problem has increased.
It is an object of the invention to solve at least some of the above problems.
These objects are broadly achieved in the provision of a dispensing device for the machine washing of laundry comprising a receptacle for receiving an amount of a detergent product, the receptacle including a body wall having filling opening means and a plurality of apertures for dispensing the detergent product, wherein the device includes a rigid spacing means, preferably is formed around the body wall, for spacing laundry from the dispensing apertures. A device formed in accordance with the invention provides a space between the body wall of the receptacle and the fabric within which space wash liquor may freely circulate to better access the apertures in the body wall. The result of this better circulation of water is that the detergent product within the receptacle is exposed to greater amounts of water and as such is more quickly, and indeed more thoroughly, dissolved or otherwise exposed to wash liquor. Furthermore, the spacing keeps a distance between the bulk of the detergent and the laundry hence reducing incidence of damage to the laundry due to direct contact between the laundry and the detergent product.
Typically, the receptacle may be in the form of a perforated body which is ideally substantially rigid. Such bodies may be formed by means of injection molding and may have perforations which are dimensioned to allow the penetration of water into the receptacle while preventing the detergent product in its initial form from passing out of the device through the perforations. Thus when the detergent is a particulate powder, the perforations will be of relatively small dimension, and certainly less than the dimension of the grain size of the detergent. Typical sizes of such perforations would be in the region of between 1 and 1000 microns. However, other sizes are envisaged depending on the grain size of the detergent product, or depending on the viscosity of the liquid when the detergent product is a liquid. Alternatively, when a larger form of detergent is employed such as, for example, a detergent tablet, the perforations in the body may be larger and less profuse. In a particularly preferred embodiment of the invention the receptacle comprises a body formed of a mesh type structure.
Alternatively, the receptacle is in the form of a flexible bag or sheath, the component material of the receptacle being water permeable.
In one embodiment of the invention, the filling opening means of the receptacle is defined by a peripheral rim, which ideally supports the spacing means which extends around the body wall of the receptacle. Thus, for example, when the peripheral rim is annular, the spacing means may comprise at least one arcuate element which extends from one point on the peripheral rim, around the body wall, to a second point on the peripheral rim. Generally, the device will include a plurality of such elements, ideally two, the number, shape and orientation of the elements depends on the size and shape of the receptacle.
In another embodiment of the invention the device is provided in two interconnecting parts, a first part comprising the spacing means which is generally in the form of a cage having an open mouth, and a second part comprising the receptacle whose filling opening is ideally defined by a peripheral rim. The two parts are interconnected by inserting the receptacle into a mouth of the cage, the receptacle being preferably constrained in position by virtue of the peripheral rim engaging with the cage, ideally with a mouth of the cage. Typically the engagement will be of a snap-fit type, however any other type of engagement means is envisaged.
The filling opening means of the device may take many forms. For example, when the opening is defined by a mouth or mouthpiece or peripheral rim, the opening may be closed using suitable closure means. Ideally, the closure comprises a plug means which typically will include anchor means to allow the plug be removed from the opening without the plug being detached from the device. In another embodiment of the invention, the closure means comprises a two part assembly comprising a first part fixedly mounted to the rim of the opening, which part includes a filling opening, and a second part having a filling opening rotatably mounted relative to the first part, such that in one orientation of the two parts the two filling openings overlap to reveal a filling opening.
In an alternative embodiment of the invention, the receptacle is formed by two parts which engage to form a closed receptacle. Typically the two parts will be hingedly connected. Thus the receptacle is preferably an essentially hollow round body having two, ideally symmetrically, opposed parts, optionally connected by a hinge, the parts being movable together and apart about the hinge to provide a filling opening. Preferably, abutting portions of each part are provided in the form of generally rigid rim potions, wherein the spacing means extends from each rim portion to extend around the receptacle part. In this manner the spacing means may take the specific form of the spacing means described above.
The device according to the invention is envisage to be used with all forms of detergent product, both solid and liquid. The solid detergents envisaged would include powders, granules, flakes, pellets, tablets and the like. When liquids are used it is important that the dispensing apertures in the receptacle are of a dimension such as to allow ingress of wash liquor while preventing the liquid detergent in a substantially undiluted state from passing out of the receptacle through the apertures.
The invention also provides a process for washing laundry in a machine employing a device according to the invention, the process comprising the steps of:
adding an amount of a detergent product to the device through the filling opening means;
placing the device in a washing machine with laundry;
carrying out a washing operation; and
recovering the device after the washing operation.
Preferably the process includes an intermediate step of closing the filling opening means prior to placing the device in the machine.
The invention also provides the combination of a dispensing device according to the invention with a detergent product.